Lincoln is a city in Placer County, California, United States, part of the Sacramento metropolitan area. Located in an area of rapid suburban development, it grew 282.1 percent between 2000 and 2010, making it the fastest growing city over 10,000 people in the U.S.[8] Its 2013 population was estimated to be 45,237.[7]

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The original townsite was surveyed and laid out in 1859 by Theodore Judah along the proposed line of the California Central Railroad. The name "Lincoln" was conferred in honor of Charles Lincoln Wilson, one of the organizers and directors of the California Central Railroad. The CCRR was planned as a rail link between the cities of Marysville and Sacramento via a connection to the Sacramento Valley Railroad in Folsom. Grading from Folsom to Marysville commenced in 1858 and was completed to Marysville by 1860. Track laying began that same year and the rails reached the site of Lincoln in early 1861. At this point, due to a lack of funds, further construction on the California Central was temporarily halted and Lincoln experienced a small-scale boom as the northern terminus of this new road. Within a few years, however, more investors were found and the line was extended to Wheatland, in Yuba County, bringing an end to this early stage of Lincoln's development.

When most of its population and business moved on with the railroad, the town settled into a lull until the early 1870s, when rich clay deposits of the Ione Formation were discovered nearby. This led to the establishment of Gladding, McBean & Co., the pottery for which Lincoln is famous, ushering in a new era of prosperity and growth.

Lincoln remained a sleepy town until the mid-1990s, when the suburbs of Sacramento started expanding out past nearby Roseville. The city is now experiencing a new period of growth. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,819, for a growth rate of 282.1% since 2000, making Lincoln the fastest growing city in the United States over the last decade.[8]

In June 2004, Lincoln gained additional notoriety when it opened the first casino in the greater Sacramento Metropolitan Area, Thunder Valley Casino Resort.

In 2006, Lincoln was named an All-America City by the National Civic League. It was the only California city to be named an All-America City that year and only one of 10 cities to receive the prestigious award.

Lincoln has a Mediterranean climate that is characterized by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers (Köppen climate classification Csa). The "wet season" is generally October through April. Lincoln averages nearly 250 sunny days per year. Average daily high temperatures range from 54 °F (12 °C) in January to 95 °F (35 °C) in July with August remaining nearly as hot. Daily low temperatures range from 39 °F in winter to 60 °F in summer (4 to 16 °C). Lincoln averages a little over 26 inches of precipitation a year. Snowfall is extremely rare in Lincoln.

The Census reported that 42,704 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 30 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 85 (0.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 16,479 households, out of which 5,190 (31.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,365 (62.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,202 (7.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 586 (3.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 775 (4.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 110 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,518 households (21.3%) were made up of individuals and 2,128 (12.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59. There were 12,153 families (73.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.01.

The population was spread out with 10,382 people (24.2%) under the age of 18, 2,360 people (5.5%) aged 18 to 24, 10,862 people (25.4%) aged 25 to 44, 9,166 people (21.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,049 people (23.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

There were 17,457 housing units at an average density of 867.2 per square mile (334.8/km²), of which 13,115 (79.6%) were owner-occupied, and 3,364 (20.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.7%. 32,473 people (75.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 10,231 people (23.9%) lived in rental housing units.

There were 3,874 households out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,547, and the median income for a family was $51,166. Males had a median income of $38,460 versus $25,603 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,447. About 10.3% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.